Electrical connector having resilient inserts



Aug. 7, 1951 J. R. FREI ETAL ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR HAVING RESILIENT INSERTS Filed Sept. 20, 1945 a a 4 E 1 w v, E 6 7/1, a lqlllarlfvl lwmqkmlppm@l hmhllvllfl U 4 ..u u.flwm l nI .liRu-u IN V EN TORS M e. (7460 BY &

ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 7, 1951 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR HAVING RESILIENT INSERTS Jakob R. Frei and William A. Uline, Sidney, N. Y., assignors to Bendix Aviation Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application September 20, 1945, Serial No. 617,560

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to electrical connections and the means for making them.

Prior connections were in general subject to breaking under bending stresses, to easy separation, and to rapid disintegration by vibration.

It is an object of the invention to make pin and socket connectors of a new and improved type and in particular to avoid the necessity of machining pins, which is an expensive operation, particularly when applied to small size materials. Another object of the invention is to afford protection to pin and socket connections against blows and crushing or bending stresses, while maintaining resilience in the mounting of the connection. Another object is to protect and reinforce the joints between the soldered ends of wires or other electrical conductors and the connectors to which they are attached. Yet an- ,other object is to assemble the several parts of a connection in units, all the parts of which cooperate to produce a new and useful result.

The above and further objects and novel features of the invention will more fully appear from the following detail description when the same is read in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only, and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference for this latter purpose being had primarily to the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through the socket bearing part of the connection;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectionthrough the pin bearing part of the connection;

Fig. 3 is a perspective detail of a rubber buffer;

Fig. 4 is a section detail of a socket type connector; and i Fig. 5 is a sectional detail of a pin type connector.

Figs. 1 and 2 have been designed to show the operative relationship of the socket insert as sembly and the pin insert assembly of a novel connection. The connection involves a pin connector and a socket conector which have cooperating tight fitting surfaces that provide for the efiicient transmission of electrical current. The assembly contains one or a plurality of connector elements, each of which is of copper or some other metal having good electrical conducting properties, that is preferably silver plated on its surface, and that may be mounted in a resilient dielectric block which is in turn mounted within a metallic protecting shell. The ends of the connector elements to which the wires are to be attached project beyond the block or insert and have solder wells to receive the ends of the wires. The projecting ends and the wire joint are given protection by inner and outer supporting means, the inner of which is called for convenience a support or buffer and the outer of which is called a grommet. The inner member may be channeled to receive the ends of the sockets and the ends of the wires, in which case a grommet having a smooth inner surface may be employed, or the grooves may be formed on the interior of the grommet and a rounded support may be employed between the joints.

In Fig. 1 is shown a section of a socket insert assembly comprising a grommet [0 which is adapted to fit over and enclose a support ll having four va'nes or ribs l2 which bound four longitudinal grooves I3 in the surface of the support. At the end of the support the crossed ribs M are formed for cooperation with crossed depressions in the end of the insert. The support in end view therefore has somewhat the appearance of a cross patee with rounded bars and approximately semi-circular grooves between the bars.

The insert, as shown in Fig. 1, is composed of a block 20 of rubber or other resilient dielectric material having an appropriate number of holes to receive sockets 2|. In the particular form of the device which is illustrated in the drawings, four sockets are included in the socket assembly and four cooperating pins are mounted in the pin assembly. The said holes are enlarged at one end to receive flanges 22 on the ends of the sockets and the shoulders formed by the, enlargement of the holes cooperate with the flanges as abutments to position the sockets in the insert. The sockets 2| project beyond the inner end of the insert 20, and there is formed between them in the end of the insert a pair of crossed grooves 23 in which the crossed ridges H of the support are adapted to be seated. Prior to the seating of the support ll between the projecting ends of the sockets,.cement may be applied in order to integrate the support with the insert. The size of the buffer is such that the walls of the socket bulge slightly beyond the circumference thereof, a feature that is important from the standpoint of protection and strength. The engaging and interference of this cross in its mating member improves creepage and fiashover between contacts and permits the use of higher voltages 4 for the same contact spacing than is feasible 7 construction improves creepage and flasho with prior art designs. conditions and permits units with standard con- The sockets as shown in Figs. 1 and 4 are preftact spacings to be used with higher voltages than erably tubular, having flanges 22 peened at their heretofore.

ends and being pinched together in a plurality of The novel pin and socket assemblies are held. places 24 about a midportion of the tube. Pinchin cooperating relation by a novel shell which ing of the tube is accomplished by swaging. prefserves to protect and to unite the parts or the 'erably at three points 120 degrees apart, the connection. The protecting shell 50 for the socket 'swaging being carried out to such an extent that insert assembly is adapted to be seated over the The pin insert" has afacer light does not show through the inner diameter. grommet l0, and preferably to hold it under com- By this means a stop is provided that prevents pression, as by means of a forced and conical solder from passing beyond the solder well 25 fit with the end portion 5| of the shell. The into the portion of the connector that is designed shell is exteriorly provided with a shoulder 53 toreceive the pins. The sockets may be cemented to serve as ameans of purchase for a nut 54 in place in the insert if desired. The indented having internal screw threads. The end of the parts of the tube 12l act to. restrain the motion shell 50 projects as a sleeve 55 that is provided thereof with respect to the insert 20, because the with a slot 56 which is adapted to receive a resilient material of the insert makes its way cooperating key formed in the surface of the to some extent into the dents, particularly when cooperating shell of the pin insert assembly. A an internal annular ridge is provided in the insplit metal ring. 51 of stainless steel or other satsert. V e lsfactory material is mounted in an annular The novel socket connector may be assembled groove in the insert 20, projects therefrom, and as follows, although other orders of steps may be is received in a groove 58 in the interior of followed if advantage is gained thereby: The the shell. The ring may be snapped into a presockets'll are pushed into the insert, the diameformed groove in the insert or molded in place. ter of the holes of the insert being preferably The shell 50 for the pin insert assembly has somewhat less than the diameter of the sockets external screw threads 5| adapted to cooperate so that forced fit is obtained in the resilient with the screw threads in the nut 54. A key dielectric material of the insert. The sockets are 62 is provided on the shell 60 for cooperation with emplaced in the insert 20 with the open sides slot 56 in sleeve 55. The end of shell 50 forms of the wells 25 facing outwardly, the grommet In a sleeve cooperating with sleeve 55, so that breakis passed over the wires, and the conductor wires ing strains are ineffective at the joint. A split 26 are soldered in place. The crossed ribs ll of ring 53 mounted in a groove in the insert and support Ii are now mounted in crossed groove projecting into a groove in the shell serves to 23, and receive the 2 5 in grooves i3." The align the parts longitudinally as the key 52 serves grommet is passed over the support. Because of to align them angularly. The pin insert must be their size the sockets bulge "beyond the side of aligned with the key and the socket i t t the support and the grommettendstopress them theslot so that the pins and sockets will be firmly against the'support that thejoints are aligned automatically when the key and slot are held firmly but resilientlyand' are protected from aliefied. I o k, :jf; e I r I The end of the sleeve is twice reduced, once A similar novel mountingls' employed forithe at 64 to form a seat for the tubular connecting novel pin structure of Figs; 2 and 5.- As shown .member and shield 65, and once at 66 to form a in t ese fi ur s. t e p s e'n ov d ab e seat for the tubular conical retainer 61 that holds member 30 having a well ii at .oneend and a the grommet 68 under compression against the.

hole 32 at the other end. a dll which 191181 4 8: 1 block 39 and the ring 63. The mounting mem 33 is formed as an abutm nt and for strength. ber may be of steel spot welded or otherwise Into the end 32 of the body p rt n 30 is secured to the shell, and the retainer 61 may be deified1 tlllie twguelndspseetli sulii fsc epr filg gg 1; of brass and brazed or otherwise secured to the W C as 8 er es 0 shelL h l outwardly bqwed as indicated at 50 The shield 55 may be permanently attached 36, and are provided with an exterior surfacelatto a supporting body and theshen 5" may receive erally curved to kconform wglth e m g the end of a. cable, thus providing a connection g gfi g s t 3 5 a I of superior characteristics, but-also both parts sections fri m a l igth o f W11: :l r awn r ti l: of the connectormay be free or the fixed mountpurpose' bndmg them to shape and Soldering l' h si o f i ii i nserts bullets and grommets thetlzlifltO gositiog in the holder illi 'all y i g i and the location of the split rings on the inme can e use or any non-me prov e u has the requisite strength, resilience, and 'elec fifi z gz gf thatlthesr r mgrchangea'ble igg gggg; gxig' ggggg fi g gfg ggF 32 An advantage of this connection is' th protecor minus about 10 degrees after shaping 'lt may contain about 1.9 to about 2.3% beryllium the: balance save for normal impurities, preferably less than .3%,,,being copper. j Thebodyportion of the pin has a groove Ssadaptedto aid inhold ing the pins in position in the, insefrts.j ,;'lhe insert It may be provided with acooperatingan-iv vex i l. H v i g g fg i g gfi gig- 52%,; sg g g gi- 1 vantages are obtained in increased ease of manubending and breaking strains, crushing stresses andisustain'edj vibration are alike incapable of destroying the' conne'ction, which is capable of funcoping even-when heavy blows vh ave' materially deformed the-outer shell. other advantages are inherent iri the novel construction or the tubular tion afforded to the connecting elements so that J socketand' the pin connector. Particular ad the natural resilience or th flllsth grecvesi I t A o advantage of t invention thatfc'oopemt' ,the" reinforcement afforded to. the Joints between with asimilar "face 21 Yonthejjsocketfinsertfm ficondlmtors and pins and sockets; Because of so that when thefparts are' pressed .olosely'to' this reinforcement, connectors of relatively getherextraneous materialsfareflexeluded.- This 'lii'fragile kind may be employed. 5 Another advan.

tage of the invention is the presentation of a line connection which has electrically conductivity of a high order. Another advantage of the invention is in a pin that needs no machinin but that may be drawn as wire, cut to size, and bent to shape. A further advantage of the invention is in a socket that is made of simple materials by simple operations. A particular advantage is in the combination of the spring pin and tubular socket of simple type, which are electrically efiicient, mechanically strong, and easy and inexpensive to make. Other advantages of the invention will be in part apparent and in part deduced from the specification hereinabove.

Although only one embodiment of the present invention is herein illustrated and described, it is to be expressly understood that the same is not limited thereto. Various changes may be made therein, particularly in the design and arrangement of the parts illustrated without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as will now be apparent to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. In an electrical connector of the pin and socket type, contact members mounted in a resilient insert and being of such length that their ends project from at least one end of said insert, a rubber support mounted within the said projecting ends and in a recess of cooperating shape in the insert, a rubber grommet enclosing said projecting ends and said support, and a metallic shell protectively and compressively mounting and enclosing the insert and grommet and provided with means to hold the parts in cooperating relation.

2. In an electrical connector of the :pin and socket type, contact members mounted in a resilient dielectric insert and having ends that project from the insert, a resilient dielectric support mounted within said projecting ends, a resilient dielectric grommet enclosing and protecting said support and said projecting ends, and a metallic shell compressively and protectively enclosing and mounting the insert and grommet and provided with means to hold the parts in cooperating relation.

3. In an electrical connector, a rigid tubular shell having an internal cone-like wall portion. a resilient insert in said shell having a plurality of passages therethrough, a rigid contact having a close fit in each of said openings and proiecting beyond one end thereof, a flexible conductor electrically connected to the projecting end of each contact, a support of resilient material centrally disposed with respect to said projecting ends and said flexible conductors to act as an internal support therefor, a tubular grommet of insulating material surrounding said support and having engagement externally with said cone-like wall portion, the adjacent surfaces of said support and grommet. being so formed as to provide passages in which said flexible conductors are resiliently gripped, and means engaging oppositely facing grooves in said shell and insert for removably retaining said insert in the shell and in compressed end to end contact with said support and grommet, and for holding said grommet under pressure against said cone-like wall portion.

4. In an electrical connector, a rigid shell having a cone-like internal wall portion and a cylindrical portion, a contact supporting resilient insert having a close fit in said cylindrical portion and a plurality of passages therethrough for electrical contacts, a resilient tubular grommet in said cone-like portion of the shell, a resilient support within the grommet, the adjacent surfaces of said support and grommet being such as to provide passages forming extensions of the passages in said insert, and means engaging an external groove in said insert for supporting the same in the shell and in compressive end to end contact with said support and grommet.

5. In an electrical connector, a rigid shell having an internal cone-like portion and a cylindrical portion, a contact supporting resilient insert having a clos fit in said cylindrical portion and a plurality of passages therethrough for electrical contacts, a resilient tubular grommet engaging the wall of said cone-like portion, a resilient support within the grommet, said support having external 'grooves therein which cooperate with the internal surface of said grom-.

met to form passages in line with the passages in said insert, and means for holding said insert in said shell in compressive face to face contact with said grommet and support.

6. In an electrical connector of the pin and socket type, contact members mounted in an insert and projecting from at least one end thereof, a resilient support between the projecting ends of said contact members and in abutting relation with the, insert to reinforce said projecting ends, a conical grommet enclosing the support and said projecting ends, and a metallic shell compressively and protectively mounting and enclosing the insert and grommet and having means to hold the parts in cooperating relation, said shell also having a conical portion cooperating directly with said conical grommet.

JAKOB R. FREI. WILLIAM A. ULINE.

REFERENCES The following references are 01 record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,559,361 Parker Oct. 27, 1925 1,686,534 Rosenzweig Oct. 9, 1928 1,940,666 Diamond Dec. 26, 1933 2,100,009 Hardy, Jr Nov. 23, 1937 2,274,398 Conrad no. Feb. 24, 1942 2,291,793 Chandler u--. Aug. 4, 1942 2,339,174 Kosha. Jan. 11, 1944 2,371,551 Schmitt Mar. 13, 1945 2,379,942 Webber I. July 10*, 1945 2,380,908 Heller July 31, 1945 2,421,155 Miller et a1. May 27, 1947 2,443,654 Else et al June 22, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date England Feb. 14.. 1941 

